


Joys of Parenthood

by ifeelsinister



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Parents, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Kid Fic, M/M, Married Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 17:10:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6915916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifeelsinister/pseuds/ifeelsinister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short drabble involving new parents Steve and Bucky and their adopted daughter, America.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Joys of Parenthood

**Author's Note:**

> Please excuse the terrible title, lol. I needed to put something and this was all that came to mind.

Steve got home later than he expected; the lines at the grocery store had been freakishly long, and the subway had been even more crowded than usual, so when he finally stepped into the apartment hours later, arms weighed down with way more grocery bags than a person should be forced to carry in one trip, it was almost ten p.m.

The apartment was completely quiet as Steve dropped the grocery bags on the countertop. He figured Bucky and the baby had already gone to bed--at least, he hoped so, considering how little sleep either of them had been getting since bringing the baby from the hospital a month earlier. Not that Steve had been getting that much sleep, either, but still. He suppressed a yawn as he quickly put away all the frozen groceries, leaving the rest to be put up in the morning, before shuffling down the hall to his and Bucky’s room.

When Steve reached his bedroom, he had expected to find the lights off and Bucky curled up, sleeping in bed. Instead, though, he found the lights on, the bed still made from that morning, untouched. Frowning, he switched off the lights and headed back down the hall, quietly calling out, “Buck?”

He didn’t receive a response, but as he passed by the door to the nursery, he noticed the lights still on in there, too, despite it being way past the time the baby would usually be put to sleep. Peering into the nursery from the doorway, his eyes landed on the rocking chair in the corner, and his gaze immediately softened.

Bucky was leaning back in the rocking chair, eyes closed and lips slightly parted in sleep. Curled up on his chest was their newborn little girl, America, sleeping just as soundly as her dad, pacifier in her mouth and tiny fist curled up by her cheek. Bucky’s non-metal hand rested gently on her back, rising and falling with their in-sync breaths, his breath occasionally ruffling the soft black hair on her head.

A smile spread across Steve’s face, and he leaned against the doorjamb, watching them adoringly for a few moments as they slept in peace. It had been a while since either of them had gotten much sleep--America had been especially fussy ever since they brought her home, and she woke up crying more than most babies did each night. Meanwhile, Bucky spent so much time worrying about her that even when she was asleep, he was usually awake searching the Internet for information on how to soothe colicky babies or calling the pediatrician every three hours to make sure she didn’t have some life-threatening illness. As much as Steve didn’t want to wake Bucky up from his much-needed rest, he knew Bucky would probably be more comfortable in their bed, so after a moment of silent adoration, he stepped into the room and up to his sleeping husband.

“Bucky,” he whispered, placing his hand gently on Bucky’s shoulder. “Hey, Buck.” Bucky blinked himself awake almost instantly, looking up at Steve with heavy eyelids.

“Hey,” Bucky murmured groggily. “What time is it?”

“About ten,” Steve replied. “Figured you’d wanna move to a real bed for the night.”

Bucky hummed in agreement, stifling a yawn. “Yeah, that’d be good.”

Steve reached down and gently lifted America into his arms, slowly as to avoid accidentally waking her up. Even after almost a month since they brought her home from the hospital, it still amazed Steve how tiny she was in her arms, how fragile and innocent, and he pressed a gentle kiss to her soft forehead as he carried her over to her crib. Surprisingly, she barely stirred, and when Steve laid her down, she was still sleeping more soundly than she had in weeks.

Bucky must have read Steve’s mind, because when Steve turned back around to face him, Bucky remarked, “She hasn’t woken up once tonight. So far, at least. Must be exhausted from all that crying.”

“Let’s hope it lasts,” Steve smirked. “C’mon, let’s go to bed.”

He held out his hand for Bucky to take and tangled their fingers together as Bucky pulled himself up from the rocking chair and stretched. Turning off the light as they went, they stepped out of the nursery and quietly shut the door behind them before heading into their own room next door.

Bucky was already dressed in his pajamas, and he collapsed on the bed while Steve changed into a t-shirt and boxers before turning off the light and climbing into bed beside him. Steve pressed his chest against Bucky’s back and wrapped his arms around him, and even though Bucky had already drifted off, he pushed back against Steve’s chest in his sleep, nuzzling deeper into his pillow and sighing contently. Steve buried his face against Bucky’s neck and inhaled the familiar scent of his skin before pressing a soft kiss to Bucky’s hair and allowing his exhausted eyes to close for some much-needed rest.


End file.
